The present invention relates to a disk player for storing and playing disks, and in particular, relates to a changer-type disk player having a magazine and capable of playing back a disk while a center aperture of the disk overlaps disks remaining in the magazine.
Changer-type disk players exist having a magazine for storing a plurality of disks and mechanisms for transporting selected disks to and from a disk reader in the disk player. Generally, in such devices, the selected disk is read by a disk reader at a read position whereat the selected disk is completely removed from the magazine. Such an arrangement requires that the selected disk be displaced a distance at least equal to a diameter of the disk. Therefore, the disk player must be large enough to accommodate this range of displacement.
Alternative designs of disk players exist wherein a selected disk is partially removed from the magazine. In such devices the selected disk is moved from the magazine a distance sufficient to align a center aperture of the selected disk over a turntable external to the magazine. The disk is then played with a portion of the disk overlapping the other disks remaining in the magazine. The overlapping arrangement reduces the required displacement to a distance substantially equal to a radius of the disk plus a radius of the turntable. Examples of this kind of technology are well-known as indicated in Japanese laid-open patent no. 57-101679 and Japanese laid-open patent no. 62-212964.
A demand for more compact devices exists, particularly in connection with applications attempting to implement a changer-type disk playback device for automobile dashboards. The limitations in the depth dimension in the prior art technology makes it impossible to make a device compatible with DIN dimensions, which are generally used as the standard dimensions for car stereos. Therefore, disk player constructions are sought which further reduce the dimensional requirements of changertype disk players.